Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes
by Rustythedragon
Summary: City slicker Elsa thought she had escaped a fast paced life when she moved to the small town of Arendelle, until she met the rebellious preacher's daughter, Anna, who attracts nothing but trouble. AU set in rural America in the 80s (inspired by the movie Footloose). Time to kick off your Sunday shoes and pull on your red cowboy boots! Elsanna (not related).
1. Start with nothing

Elsa stood at the bus stop on the edge of the dirt road. The sun had barely risen, but already she was starting to sweat under her leather jacket. She reached up to loosen the tie around her neck, silently cursing the fact that her mother might have been right about leaving it at home. Still, it was her first day at a new school and she wanted to make a good impression, especially in the conservative little town of Arendelle.

She looked at her watch, tapping her foot anxiously in the dust. The bus should have been there by now. Maybe she should have let her mother drop her off at school. If only her mother didn't need the car for work, Elsa could have driven herself and she wouldn't be stuck in the middle of nowhere right now.

A red pick-up truck rambled noisily down the road, spewing dust into the air, causing Elsa to cough in it's wake. The truck squealed to a stop a little ways down the road, then began to back up.

Elsa dove out of the way as the trunk nearly rear-ended the bus stop sign. "Hey watch it!" She strode over to the driver's side, ready to give the driver a piece of her mind, but froze when she saw the girl behind the wheel.

"Need a lift?" The driver pushed one of her ginger braids back over a freckle-dusted shoulder.

Elsa melted under the girl's teal eyes. "Um... yeah sure. A ride would be great."

"Hop in!" The ginger girl shifted gears, and waited while Elsa ran around to the passenger side and crawled into the truck. The cab was small and stuffy and the truck seemed old enough the the air conditioning was either broken or never existed in the first place.

"Um, thanks for the lift." Elsa rolled down the window to let in some air before running her fingers over her long blonde braid, pulling it onto her shoulder.

The redhead chewed her lower lip thoughtfully and Elsa felt herself grow warm under the other girl's gaze. "No problem. I'm Anna. You must be new here."

"How'd you guess?"

Anna pulled back onto the road, barrelling down the dirt track as if she were on a highway. "In a small town like this, I know everybody who's anybody, but you... you've got to be new!"

"Yeah, just moved to town," Elsa conceded before remembering her manners, "I'm Elsa."

"Elsa!" Anna let the word roll off her tongue. "That's a pretty name! Not plain and boring like Anna."

Elsa was about to say Anna seemed anything but boring before the ginger girl cut off her thoughts.

"So where can I drop you off?"

"Uh," Elsa played with her braid, "Arendelle high school."

"No way!" The truck swerved as Anna leaned forcefully towards her, "You look way more sophisticated than a high school student! You can't be younger than me! Wait, don't tell me you're anything younger than a senior!"

Elsa hid a laugh behind her palm, "Ok, I won't."

"For real?! I can't believe you go to my high school! Omigosh I can't believe I picked you up at the bus stop! Don't you drive?"

"My mom took the car for work."

"Well, you'll just have to get your own car then! No teenager in Arendelle can live without a car! If I hadn't picked you up, you'd probably still be standing there, and then you'd be late for class on your first day..."

Anna continued to ramble, but it was endearing. It was cute how excitable the redhead was. A pang rippled through Elsa's chest, a reminder that she needed to keep it together. It was one thing to make a new friend, but the feelings she noticed starting to awaken when she looked at Anna needed to be quashed. She needed to remain calm, be cool, distant even.

"I'm sorry, I'm totally rambling!" Anna said. "Where're you from anyway?"

"Corona." Elsa had just identified herself as a big city girl.

"No way! What are you doing out here in the sticks then?"

Elsa shrugged as if there was nothing to be told.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Damn this girl was good. Elsa was going to have to work to bury any insecurity that might be showing. "Don't worry about it. That's life. One minute you're a big shot in the city, the next you're begging rides from rednecks just to get into town."

"Hey, if me and my truck are too small town for you, I can always pull over and let you walk..."

"N-no! I didn't mean it like that. I mean, you called it the sticks yourself, I was just..." Elsa raked her fingers through her hair. She'd really put her foot in her mouth this time.

Anna laughed, "Relax! Lucky for you red's my favourite colour!" She gave Elsa a cheeky wink. "Though you might be walking sooner than you think." Anna pulled into the high school's parking lot, careening into an empty space and slamming on the breaks hard enough to make Elsa lurch forward into the dash. Anna remained unfazed, hopping out the door before Elsa could get her bearings back.

As Elsa opened the door she could feel the eyes of the world turning in her direction. Kids stared openly, many of them whispering back and forth between their friends as she got down from the truck. Elsa straightened, flipped up the collar of her jacket and checked her tie. She could handle this.

"Well blondie, it's been fun but I gotta run," Anna called across the hood. "See you around!"

Elsa's cool exterior melted a little, but she pushed down the urge to wave back at Anna. Instead, she offered a curt nod, "Thanks." Elsa strutted towards the doors, head held high, ignoring the obvious stares in her direction. First impressions were everything.

* * *

**A/N: ***deep breath* This is the first fanfic I've ever published online. I hope you enjoy it! I love reading reviews so don't be shy!

I'm also rustythedragon on Tumblr if you prefer to follow me or the story there.

I've listened to the Footloose soundtrack a lot while writing this piece and I recommend listening to it if you want the right mood for this story. I've made a few song recommendations at the beginning of some chapters where a particular song is relevant. I've also decided to name my chapters from lines from the song "Never" by Moving Pictures. If there's one song you should listen to for this fic, that's the one! Thanks for reading!


	2. You've got nothing to lose

Navigating the halls of Arendelle's tiny high school should have been easy, but for some reason Elsa was lost. She muttered to herself under her breath checking the numbers on her schedule one more time and walked straight into wall of muscle.

"Watch where you're going!"

Elsa looked up at the broad, blonde boy she had collided with. Of course she had to run into the biggest jock she'd ever seen. Stepping to the side, Elsa tried ignoring him.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Great, he wanted to pick a fight. This was it. Do or die in the pecking order and Elsa wasn't about to back down. She faced the boy, looking him square in the eyes. "Hey, nice shirt. Do they sell men's clothes where you got that?"

The boy took a step back, taken off guard, but then a grin spread across his face, "Why, you need to do some shopping?"

Understanding bubbled up between them and they both began to laugh. At least she'd found someone in this dust bowl with a good sense of humour.

"What's your name?" The boy asked.

"Elsa," She held out her hand.

"Kristoff," He gave her hand a firm shake. "You really should watch where you're going though."

"Yeah, the walls in this school move all on their own!"

"If you're looking for the chem lab it's the next door down."

"How'd you know?"

Kristoff waved her off. "New kids always have trouble finding it. Don't ask me why it's numbered different from the rest of the labs."

"Thanks." Elsa flashed him a genuine smile.

Kristoff began to walk away, "Come find me at lunch, unless you want to eat the swill the cafeteria sells."

"I will." Elsa exhaled. So far there was nothing to worry about. If the jocks were this friendly, maybe Arendelle wasn't such a bad place after all.

* * *

Elsa felt out of place sitting with Kristoff and his girlfriend at their lunch table. She was definitely the third wheel, even though the pair were doing their best to be friendly. Actually, it seemed like most of the student body were paired off in nice, neat boy-girl couples. Elsa could feel the stares in her direction as if the student body could sniff out her fear.

Elsa searched for some kind of neutral topic of conversation, "So, Sven, that's an uh... interesting name."

"Her real name's Svetlanna." Kristoff said through a mouthful of sandwich.

His girlfriend swatted his arm. She was plain with mousy brown hair and a large nose, but she and Kristoff complimented each other. "Don't ever let me catch you calling me that. Seriously, who names their kid Svetlanna? It's Sven."

"It used to be her dog's name." Kristoff continued unafraid of his girlfriend's retribution.

"Kristoff!" Sven punched him harder this time and he winced.

"Sorry," Kristoff mumbled through his sandwich.

Elsa raised a hand to cover her giggles. They were too cute, but not horribly annoying. Maybe she could get used to hanging out with them, though they may not want to be around her once they found out...

"So tell us about Corona!" Sven's eyes lit up, hungry for a taste of big city life.

"I can't imagine it's all that different from Arendelle." Elsa was being diplomatic. The differences were staggering and she already missed her home.

"Are you kidding me?" Sven saw right through her. "Arendelle has to be the most boring place on the planet. Nothing ever happens here!"

"So what do you guys do for fun then?" Elsa asked, curious.

"Drinking and wanking mostly." Kristoff said.

Sven rolled her eyes. "You make us sound like a bunch of barn animals!"

"I think that happens everywhere to be honest." Elsa attempted to placate the couple.

"True enough," Kristoff admitted, "But I imagine in the city, there's other stuff to do."

"Yeah, drinking and wanking in fancy clubs that charge way too much."

"Wow, what were the clubs like?" Sven's eyes glossed over, dreaming of life beyond Arendelle.

"Not all they're cracked up to be, but if there's one thing I'll miss it's the dancing. There's nothing like a good beat and a packed dance floor. Man, you should have seen some of the girls..." Elsa stopped herself and quickly added a correction, "I mean when we all went dancing, we couldn't keep the guys off us!" That's right, be normal. Play it cool.

Sven didn't seem to notice her slip up, she was too engrossed in the dream of Corona's clubs, but when Elsa met Kristoff's eyes, she saw something flicker there before he returned to his lunch.

_Shitshitshit. Way to make friends dumbass!_

"Hey do you know Anna Anderson or something? I saw you guys come to school together." Thankfully Sven was already on to the next topic of conversation.

"Wait what? Oh no, we just met this morning. She rescued me from the bus stop."

"You don't have a car?" Kristoff's jaw dropped as if that was the most scandalous thing she'd said all day.

"Why is everyone so shocked by that? I never needed one in the city."

"Well you'll need one here." Kristoff said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," Sven added, "You can't rely on the buses, or the preacher's daughter to rescue you every day."

Elsa coughed, nearly choking on her sandwich. She slammed her fist into her chest, forcing the food down. Of course the beautiful ginger was the preacher's daughter. Talk about forbidden fruit.

"Huh," Kristoff continued without missing a beat, ignoring Elsa's coughing, "I'm surprised her douche-nozzle of a boyfriend let her drive herself to school. He barely lets her do anything without him."

"You shouldn't talk about Hans like that." Sven scolded him.

"Why not? He's a jerk!"

Elsa said the first thing that came to her oxygen deprived mind, "Why would she get mixed up with someone like that?"

"Probably to make people forget she's the preacher's daughter." Kristoff put down his sandwich and stared at it with his brows knit together.

"So she's kind of a rebel then?" Elsa asked Sven.

"You could say that." Kristoff mumbled.

Sven nodded, "More like a loose canon really. She's not a bad person or anything..."

Sven and Kristoff moved on to other topics of gossip, but Elsa's mind kept roaming back to the girl with the ginger braids who had rescued her from certain public transportation death. Her public persona and her kind nature didn't seem to mix and left Elsa wondering who the girl really was.

* * *

Kristoff had offered her a ride home after school. Elsa happily accepted.

"Man, I really am going to have to get a car aren't I?" Realization sunk in as she got into Kristoff's tiny Pinto.

"There's no way around it." Kristoff turned the key in the ignition and brought the vehicle to life.

"I don't know how I'll get my hands on one. Usually cars cost money."

"Could you ask your parents?" Elsa must have made a face because the boy drew back. "That bad huh?"

"It's just me and my Mom right now and we're broke. That's why we moved to Arendelle, so we could stay with my aunt and uncle while we get back on our feet. I guess it's not so bad though. At least we're starting off with a clean slate."

"That sounds rough." Kristoff said softly as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Elsa already knew the answer, but she had to ask, "You won't tell anyone will you?"

"You can trust me," Kristoff grinned. "On that note, I've always wanted a lesbian friend."

Elsa thumped her head into the window. "Am I made of glass or something?"

"Aside from the tie and talking about dancing with girls at clubs? Nah! Arendelle is so backwards I doubt anyone will notice."

"So I don't have to worry about torches and pitchforks?" Elsa snuck a peek from her hiding place against the window.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Kristoff gave her shoulder a shove. "This is going to be great! We can talk about girls and stuff, and Sven won't get jealous..."

"What? Are we going to stay up all night swapping manly stories?"

"An in the morning, I'll make us waffles!"

Elsa couldn't help but laugh. Kristoff looked so genuinely excited even if they were only joking around. "You're good guy, you know that?"

"Don't tell anyone! I have a reputation to maintain." They drove for a while in comfortable silence before Kristoff had a thought. "Hey, I think I know how we can solve your car problem."

* * *

The warehouse loomed in front of Elsa, grey and foreboding. It was Kristoff's idea. He said Mr. Oaken was always looking for part time workers. Elsa had never lifted a finger to do any sort of labour, but that was about to change. If she really wanted to help her family, if she really wanted to gain some kind of independence, she needed a job.

Mr. Oaken was a huge man, his burly body as thick as a truck, but when he saw Elsa his face lit up in a kind smile and he waggled his fingers at her in greeting. "Woo hoo! Over here dear. You must be the new girl Kristoff said needed a job ya?"

"Um, yeah," Elsa tucked a loose strand of hair behind an ear, before remembering that she was here to ask for a job. She stuck out her hand, "Pleased to meet you, I'm Elsa."

Oaken took her hand and gently squeezed it. "The pleasure is mine dear, now what can I do for you?"

"Well, Kristoff said you're always looking for part time workers and I'd like a job." Simple and direct. She could do this.

"Sure, let me show you around."

As Oaken led her through the warehouse, Elsa's stomach dropped. It was full of machinery she had no idea how to operate and heavy bags of grain and flour she doubted she could lift.

"So, do you know how to operate a bag closer?" Oaken asked.

"Uh... no. No I don't." Elsa's shoulders crawled up to her ears.

"How about a pellet jack?"

"A what?"

Oaken's face fell before he gave a heavy sigh. "Have you ever done manual labour before?"

"N-no, but I'll work really hard for you, I swear! I'm a fast learner and I... I really need this job Mr. Oaken."

The burly man shook his head. "You can probably tell from my accent I'm not from Arendelle ya? Even though my family and I have been here for years, there are still people who give us a hard time, just because we're not from here or because we're different." Oaken paused, thinking, "And then there are the people who make living here worthwhile." He gave Elsa a knowing smile.

"How about I start Tuesday?"

Oaken laughed, "Sure dear. Sounds OK."

"Thank you Mr. Oaken, thank you so much!" Elsa went to shake his hand but he drew back.

"Oh don't thank me yet. Kristoff also mentioned you were in need of a vehicle yes? I can't have one of my employees late for work because they are waiting for a bus."

"You mean..." Elsa held her breath. She didn't even want to ask.

Oaken took her around the back of the warehouse where a junk pile rose up near the building. He led her over to a little Volkswagen Beetle, it's baby blue paint peeling against the rust. "It's not perfect, but it should get you to work and school."

"Really? I can use this?"

"You can pay it off in instalments with your new job ya?"

"Oh my God, Mr. Oaken I don't know how to thank you! It's perfect!"

"Plain old Oaken is fine dear. I'll see you Tuesday!"

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter is a lot of set up, so hopefully you're still with me! I'm still figuring out how to manage this site too. Herp-derp!


	3. You'll never fly!

Anna rolled off the blanket, searching for her shirt among the leaves. Hands around her waist jerked her back onto a soft, warm lap.

"Where do you think you're going?" A voice crooned seductively in her ear.

"Hans, I can't be late for dinner. You know that." Anna pushed herself away again.

"We have plenty of time." He snuggled into Anna's neck letting his lips graze over her pulse.

Tempting but no. She needed to kill the mood fast. "If you want to tell my father the real reason I'm late, by all means."

Hans let go. He might have been bold, but there was no way he was going to stand up to the reverend and tell him he was banging his daughter.

Anna snatched her shirt dangling from a tree branch. She had no idea how it got there, but was glad she found it. The little glen on Hans' family farm was secluded, a place for just the two of them to get away. But Anna could only run for so long before the real world called her back, before her father put down his foot to reign her in again. She reached for her favourite pair of cowboy boots, running her fingers over the slick red leather.

"I'm surprised your Dad let you out of the house in those boots." Hans flopped back on the blanket, reaching for a cigaret and his lighter.

"My Daddy hates it when I wear these boots." That's why they were her favourite. She didn't have to say it out loud. Hans understood. Anna's mind kept drifting away though. Away from Hans and her father to settle on the girl she had picked up at the bus stop a few days ago. She had seen her around school hanging out with Kristoff and Sven. Anna hadn't hung out with those two in a while, which was strange. Kristoff was practically her best friend growing up, then Anna started dating Hans and things got weird.

"Wanna go to the diner tomorrow?" Hans took a long drag on his cigarette.

"Maybe after church." Anna rose to her feet, grabbing her bag and keys.

"You're such a good girl."

"Don't call me that. I'm about as good as..." Anna couldn't think of anything. She was terrible at metaphors. "Well, I ain't good."

"I know _that_ first hand." Hans leaned forward for one last kiss.

"And don't you forget it neither." Anna bent down and kissed him hard.

* * *

Anna slipped in through the back door and ran up the stairs to her room. She was proud of herself for making it home with time to make herself presentable for dinner, which included kicking off her red cowboy boots and hiding them under her bed. At least the disaster that was her room prevented her parents from finding most of her contraband. Half the time Anna couldn't even find the things she wanted and she knew where she hid them.

Anna made her way downstairs, relieved to hear the steady clicking of her father's typewriter coming from his study. He was so engrossed in his work, he probably hadn't noticed her come in. Anna entered the kitchen as her mother pulled their dinner out of the oven, placing it on top of the stove. Her mother reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, even though her hair was already swept cleanly behind her head in a near perfect bun.

"Smells good Mama, can I help?" Anna asked.

"No, dear, I'm pretty much done, but could you please set the table?" Her mother was a soft spoken woman. Anna couldn't remember a time when she'd raised her voice. Not that she didn't know how to scold anyone. When her mother wanted to, she could go straight for the jugular, but always with a quiet grace that was scary in and of itself. Anna brushed the thought aside and busied herself with preparing the table.

"Anna would you go tell your father that dinner is ready?"

"Yeah sure..." Anna's shoulder's tensed as she walked toward the study.

Her father scowled at a line on the paper he was working on. Anna hated to break his concentration but when she peeked around the door frame he looked up from his work meeting her eyes, "Oh good you're home."

The pit of Anna's stomach dropped. This couldn't be good. Her father only paid attention to her when something was wrong. "Dinner's ready."

"Yes, of course..." Her father trailed off then his eyebrows shot up as if he remembered something important. He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a cassette tape, holding it up to her.

Anna's stomach churned. The tape was undoubtably the deadly variety of sin known as rock and roll.

"I found this among your school books." It wasn't an accusation, but disappointment weighed heavily in her father's words.

"It's not mine! I swear!"

"Anna you know we don't allow this kind of music in our house."

"It's Rusty's! It must have fallen into my bag!"

"Then why was it in your walkman?"

Busted. Anna folded her arms over her chest and began to study the weave of the carpet on the study floor like she had many times before. "I told you, it's not mine. I borrowed it from a friend."

"Then your friend will be disappointed they've lost their cassette tape." He tossed it back in the desk and shut the drawer.

Anna winced, "Christ!"

"Anna, do not take the Lord's name in vain," He father said cooly. He had been calm the whole time, as if this altercation wasn't important at all. As if it didn't warrant enough of his attention to get angry over.

Anna puffed out her cheeks. She wanted to scream 'fuck' right in her fathers face, but instead let her breath escape slowly between her lips. "I'm sorry Daddy. It won't happen again."

"Anna," Her father's face grew concerned, "You know I'm just trying to protect you. The world is full of corrupting influences and I can't always be there to tell you what's right and what's wrong."

Anna bit down on her lip to keep from saying everything that was running through her mind. _You don't have to protect me! I wish you'd let me make my own decisions! I wish you trusted me!_

"Let's not keep your mother waiting." Her father rose from his desk and motioned to the kitchen with his hand.

Anna obeyed. She would spend the rest of the evening on autopilot until the sting of her father's disappointment faded.

* * *

Anna was glad it was Monday. Most people hated Mondays but she loved them. It meant a whole entire week until she had to sit in church again and endure another of her father's lectures. Getting them at home was bad enough, but sitting in a crowded church with no air conditioning when the weather was getting warm was enough to crush her spirit.

Anna actually liked school. Everyone thought she got good grades because of her strict father, but the truth was, to Anna school was a means to an end. Good grades meant getting accepted to collages and maybe even the scholarships to get her there. If there was one thing she wanted in the whole wide world it was to get out of Arendelle. Come Hell or high water she was going to do it. One way or another.

It really ticked her off when Hans suggested they cut class that afternoon. They argued about it. The closer to graduation they got, the more they seemed to fight. Hans didn't really care about school. He was all farm boy, the youngest of thirteen kids. He had inherited Arendelle on a silver platter, reigning over their high school like some kind of king. There was no way he'd ever leave that kind of comfort for the unknown. Anna on the other hand couldn't wait to leave. She didn't know what Hans was going to do when that happened. So far he had refused to talk about it with her.

They were still arguing when Hans came to pick her up from school, yelling at each other in the cab of his truck. They were still in the school's parking lot when Hans slammed on the breaks. Anna surged forward against her seat belt. She was about to swear at Hans for his poor driving capabilities when she noticed the car he almost hit. The cutest little blue Volkswagen Beetle was trying to back out of it's space and Hans had nearly flattened it with his truck. But it wasn't the car that caught Anna's eye so much as the driver. A platinum blonde braid flopped over a leather jacket and beautiful blue eyes avoided contact with Hans. The entire passenger side of the car was taken up by Kristoff. Anna wasn't sure how he'd even gotten through the door of the tiny car.

"Hey!" Hans stuck his head out the window to yell at Elsa. "Hey new kid!"

Anna began to sweat, but not from the warm weather. _Oh no. Please don't do this Hans. Not now._

To her credit, Elsa ignored him.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Elsa was trapped with Hans cutting off the car's exit. She'd have to face him unless the spot in front of her opened up and she could drive through. She leaned out the window, tilting her chin defiantly up at Hans, "Yeah?"

Hans' face twisted in a wicked grin. "Where's your tie?"

Elsa sat back in her seat, ignoring Hans again.

Hans called out, his voice clear as a bell to be heard throughout the parking lot, "I thought only Dykes wore ties."

"Oh yeah?" Elsa stuck her head out the window, not missing a beat, "That's funny, cuz I thought only assholes used the word Dyke." Then the Volkswagen surged forward, the spot in front of it vacated and Elsa took the chance to leave before Hans could think of a retort.

"Whoo! She got you there Hans!" Anna laughed. Elsa must have had balls of steel to stand up to the king of Arendelle High. Then again he had totally set himself up for that.

Hans gave her an icy glare before stepping on hard on the gas. "I'll get that bitch for that."

Anna went silent. She didn't like the look in his eye. Hans was not someone you messed with.

* * *

Hans wasted no time concocting the perfect revenge. Actually, as far as his ideas went, Anna had to admit, this one was pretty tame. Anna scolded herself. She shouldn't be thinking like that. It was still dangerous and it involved a relatively innocent individual. Still, the very idea got her blood pumping more than she wanted to admit. Besides, there was no saying Elsa would participate. Convincing the new girl to accept Hans' challenge was Anna's job.

Anna walked up around the side of Oaken's Mill. Rumor had it this was where Elsa worked after school. It was the perfect place for a little chat. They'd have to keep it short which meant Anna could keep the pressure on and hopefully prevent herself from rambling. She wasn't convinced Elsa would fall for Hans' trap, but it was worth a shot.

Anna rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. Elsa was unloading bags of flour onto a skid. Tight blue jeans dusted with white hugged the contours of her hips and a light tank top clung to her body, soaked through with sweat. Beads of perspiration rolled down the blonde's neck as she struggled with the heavy bags, emphasizing the slight muscles in her naked arms.

_Damn._ That was all Anna could think. Elsa was too hot for her own good. Thankfully she hadn't noticed Anna yet. It was game time. Just as Elsa flopped a bag down on the pallet, Anna brought a bright red boot to stand on top of it, right in front of Elsa's face.

Elsa followed the boot up Anna's leg and slowly up her body to her eyes. "Hi."

"Hi." Anna returned the greeting, putting on her best sugary sweet smile. "Hans Cranston wants to see you. Meet him at his Daddy's field tomorrow at four o'clock."

"What happens at four o'clock?" Elsa sneered a little, reaching for another bag from the conveyor belt and hoisting it onto the skid in front of Anna's boot.

"You'll have to show up to find out."

"And if I don't show up?"

"Everyone will know you're scared!" That threat worked with most people, but Elsa didn't seem phased. Anna dropped the confidence act and let seriousness creep into her voice, " And Hans will find you if you don't show up."

Elsa met her eyes, searching for something Anna couldn't read. "Guess I don't have a choice then."

"Nope." Anna pushed off the skid and began to walk away.

"Hey yo! Yo! Wait a sec!" Elsa bounded after Anna, despite shouts from inside the warehouse that the conveyor line was backing up. "Why'd he send _you_?"

Anna couldn't stop the smile that sprawled across her face as she looked over her shoulder at Elsa, "Oh I volunteered."

* * *

**A/N:** I can has fans? (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Thank you for the kind reviews! Keep showering me with your love!


	4. It's time to fight (CHICKEN!)

**A/N:** To set the mood for this chapter you may want to listen to Bonnie Tyler's _Holding Out For A Hero_. Just saying.

* * *

Elsa could see mountains in the distance against the brilliant blue backdrop of the sky. The sun poured down on the farmland sprawling in front of her. It was a beautiful day, too beautiful to be doing something so stupid. Elsa cringed from her perch on the tractor. Half the senior class had shown up to watch Hans duke it out with the new kid through a tractor chicken race. Elsa couldn't believe that was even a thing. More surprising still was that there was an even split between who the kids were cheering for. Elsa couldn't have made that good an impression on that many people since her arrival in Arendelle. She wondered if they were supporting her just to piss off Hans.

"How the hell did I get myself into this?" Elsa clutched the rims of the tractor wheel she was sitting on.

"You've played chicken before right? You know the rules?" Kristoff sat in the driver's seat showing her the controls.

"First kid to turn away is the chicken, and they lose." Of course Elsa had never actually played chicken before. Was she supposed to have hijacked a city bus during rush hour? That would have made for an interesting game. "But I've never driven a tractor before!" Elsa laughed, but her voice faltered, clearly showing her nerves.

"It's easy! Just think of it as a big car!" Kristoff pointed to a series of levers and pedals. "Here's your clutch, brakes, gas... once you get 'er going all the way up to third, slam it into fourth like this and let 'er rip!"

"You'll do great Elsa!" Sven encouraged her. "Hans is a big chicken shit, so hang in there and he'll bail in no time!"

"Yeah you got this one!" Someone from the crowd cheered her on.

"Kick his ass Elsa!"

Elsa tuned them out, looking down the long narrow trail to the other tractor at the end. A canal ran alongside the dirt service trail and a hill rose up on the other side. There was no escape, even if she wanted to swerve off to avoid hitting Hans. This was insane. It had to be the stupidest thing she'd ever done.

A lone figure approached from Hans' camp, ginger braids falling down around her shoulders and red boots kicking up dust along the trail. Elsa remembered why she was doing this, as the look in Anna's eyes from their conversation at the mill came back to her. Behind the self-assured mask there was fear when Anna had warned her that Hans would "find her" if she didn't show up today. Elsa made up her mind then and there to met Hans on whatever battlefield he chose, because nobody should ever have that kind of fear in their eyes.

"Elsa," Kristoff put a firm hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to reality, "Kick his ass."

"I will." Elsa swung herself into the drivers seat, determined to wipe the floor with that asshole.

Anna walked up until she was within shouting distance. She grabbed the rim of her cowboy hat, tipping it in Elsa's direction. "Alright Elsa, when this hat goes flying, you better have your butt in gear! Time to start your engines!" Anna began walking back to the center point between the tractors to signal the start of the race.

Elsa started the tractor, giving it's spluttering engine a rev. She still had no idea what lever or pedal did what, but she would have to figure it out pretty fast.

Anna reached the middle of the trail, looking back and forth between the tractors. Hans had his started up and his friends were hooting and hollering over what seemed like his assured victory. Elsa gripped the wheel, her knuckles turning white, her eyes trained on Anna, who was waiting to let loose the signal for them to start.

Anna looked back and forth again, a big grin on her face. Her eyes met Elsa's and her body tensed before she ripped the hat off her head throwing it in the air with a shout.

Elsa put the tractor in gear and it started to lumber forward at a snail's pace. Kristoff was shouting instructions beside her, but Elsa got the levers mixed up. She cranked one back and the bucket of the tractor starting to go up.

"The one on the left Elsa! You've got to get it in a higher gear!"

Elsa stomped the clutch down and found the gear shift. The tractor went faster and she kept pushing it further until it got into the highest gear possible. It still wasn't fast enough to outrun the gang of students trailing behind her, but as far as Elsa was concerned, the tractor was now barrelling down the service trail at a frightening speed.

She looked ahead to see Hans racing down the trail towards her, a cocky grin smeared across his face. This was it. At some point, one of them had to back down or they'd both be toast. There was no escape. Fear rippled up Elsa's spine. This was ridiculous. She wasn't going to die for her pride. She got to her feet, ready to jump from the tractor, but her right leg wouldn't move. _What the fuck?_ She tried getting up again, but her shoelace had firmly intwined itself around the gas pedal. Frantically Elsa pulled at her foot but it was no use. She was stuck.

_Fuck._

Hans was close now and judging from the look on his face, her wasn't going to stop.

_FuckfuckfuckI'mgoingtodie!_

This was it. There was no going back and no way out. Elsa gripped the wheel and stared directly at Hans. Up until that moment he had been laughing at her, joking the whole way down the trail, but once Elsa committed, Hans' face changed.

"What are you doing? Quit screwing around!" Hans yelled at her over the rumble of the tractors. Fear lit in his eyes and Elsa felt a small pang of satisfaction as she prepared for the tractors to collide.

Hans swerved. Elsa could feel the rush of air beside her as his tractor narrowly missed hers, running right alongside her before it began to careen into the ditch toward the canal. The tractor groaned, tipping right over, dumping it's driver into the water.

Elsa had to remember to breathe as her tractor continued down the now open trail. Cheers erupted behind her through the din of the engine. Kristoff jumped up beside her and hit the brakes, finally bringing an end to the most terrifying ride in Elsa's life.

He wrapped her up in a sweeping bear hug. "You did it! Oh my God, you did it!"

She won. _How the fuck did that happen?_ Elsa jumped up throwing her fists in the air, but had to slam back down in her seat as her tangled foot still bound her to the machine. Everyone around her was celebrating, but Elsa twisted in her seat to see where Hans had landed in the canal. She didn't mind humiliating him, but she was terrified the boy would be injured or worse.

A soggy Hans was being pulled out of the canal by his cronies. Anna offered to help him up, but he pushed her away. His eyes trained on Elsa and the bitter glare he shot her made her skin crawl. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

* * *

**Moar A/Ns:** I had so much fun writing this chapter! I hope it came out all right. I have to admit I was laughing like a loon writing some parts.

As for Sven: Yeah, I'm not sure Sven works as a human female either, but I wanted to try it, and since Sven is a minor character, I don't mind if the experiment doesn't work out. Svetlanna is a totally cute name, but no matter how cute, some kids just plain hate the names their parents gave them, so that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Oh yeah, and if you want to follow me on Tumblr I'm rustythedragon over there as well!


	5. He holds you down

Anna stood at the counter of Rusty's diner, sipping on her soda and waiting for her order of fries. The diner was a typical greasy spoon, but it was popular with the high school kids. It was nearly empty so early in the afternoon, but that was fine with Anna. The less prying eyes she had to deal with, the better. She heard Kristoff creeping up behind her before he popped into her field of vision.

"Hi!" The blonde boy smiled sheepishly at her, running his fingers through his mop of hair.

"Hi," Anna gave Kristoff a little shove before grabbing the basket of fries that had barely touched down on the counter. Kristoff followed her to a booth, the puffy read seats sticking to the parts of her legs exposed by her cut off jean shorts.

It was good to see him. It had been too long since they'd talked. Anna had called him up after the tractor match. It felt wrong seeing him on the opposite side of the game, cheering for a different champion. Anna wasn't sure which side she wanted to be on anymore, or if she even wanted to be on a side. Everything had turned upside down the day Elsa McCormack walked into Arendelle. But then maybe things had already started to crumble around Anna, Elsa was just the catalyst propelling everything forward at an uncomfortable pace.

Anna propped her chin up on an elbow, indicating she was done with the small talk. There was one thing she had asked Kristoff to gather information about, "Tell me."

Kristoff's eyes lit up as he began to talk about Elsa. "So, she's from Corona, works at Oaken's mill most days after school, but you already knew that! She's living at her aunt and uncle's with her mom. She hasn't dated anyone since she came to town... Oh and she loves to dance, and is totally bummed that there's nowhere close by to go dancing!"

Anna grabbed the ketchup, dowsing her fries in the sauce before shovelling them into her face.

Kristoff picked a couple fries out of her basket, nibbling on them apprehensively. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why?" Anna had her bravest face on.

"Anna you haven't said a word yet. That means something is horribly wrong!"

Anna thought about denying it an teasing Kristoff back, but it wouldn't do her any good. He could read her like a book. She leaned back into her seat. She'd be better off being honest. "I shouldn't have asked about her."

"Why not? She's hot, single, and don't tell me the fact that she's from out of town doesn't curl your toes Anna, I know you too well!"

It had been a while since anyone had been this candid with her, "I've missed you."

"Me too!" Kristoff relaxed as they fell into their old habits of conversation. "You should ditch the ball and chain and come hang out with us some time!"

Anna went back to her soda, chewing on the straw while staring out the window.

"What is it? Hans?" Kristoff knew which buttons to push. "I never did think he had all his dogs barking anyway!"

That was a polite way of putting it. Anna knew her old friends hated her boyfriend.

"Besides, what is wrong with getting a little excited over Elsa?"

Visions of shapely hips swung back and forth before Anna's eyes. "She _is_ pretty exciting..."

"I can't believe you haven't thrown yourself at her yet. You've wanted to kiss another girl since we were twelve!"

_Well, we were twelve when I _admitted_ to you I wanted to kiss another girl_. Anna frowned at her fries, "I don't think she deserves that kind of attention."

"And you don't deserve better than what you've got?" Kristoff was giving her that 'who do you think you're kidding' look. Anna hated that look.

Suddenly the flood gates opened and words began pouring out of Anna's mouth, "How did everything get so messed up Kristoff? Everything used to be simple, but now, every way I turn I run into something that's stopping me or holding me back! I feel like I'm trapped in this town, like a bird in a cage with no key, no way out!"

"That's not true Anna. You're free to make your own choices."

"Not without hurting someone in the process!" No matter what she did, someone would get hurt, Hans, her father, her friends, herself.

"You're too sweet for your own good you know that? Maybe you should stop worrying about what everyone else thinks and worry about Anna needs."

Anna tugged on a braid, "I got myself into this mess by being selfish. I don't know how to get out."

"Well, letting your friends help you is a good place to start." Kristoff placed his hand over Anna's, letting her know he was there for her.

A lump rose in Anna's throat and tears pricked her eyes. She swallowed them back, taking Kristoff's hand in her own. She didn't know what was going to happen next, but having friends at her back made the choices she had to make a lot less scary.

* * *

Elsa checked over her lab report on more time. She wanted to make sure everything was in order before submitting it to the drop box of no return. Satisfied, she rose from the desk in the empty classroom and made her way to the box beside the teacher's office door.

Across the room, the door to the classroom opened. Elsa expected to see another student coming in to drop off a paper, but her heart sank when she saw one of Hans' friends leaning against the door frame watching her. Elsa shoved her paper in the drop box and made for the door, but the boy got in her way. Elsa was about to give him a piece of her mind when he raised his hands in surrender.

"Relax! I'm here on business." The boy fished a long, suspicious looking, hand-rolled cigarette out of his shirt pocket. "Someone said you might be interested in buying."

Elsa realized what he was proposing. She really didn't need to add drug addict to the list of rumours about her. "Well, I'm not. Thanks anyway." Elsa began to push him out of the way to get through the door.

The boy let her, but used their close proximity to wedge the joint between her school books, "We'll call this a free sample then." Before Elsa could refuse, he had pushed her out of the way and exited the class.

Elsa grabbed the joint, and chased after the boy, "I told you I don't want it!"

As she rounded the corner she ran straight into her science teacher. Elsa wasn't exactly on good terms with the balding, middle-aged man who had expressed his displeasure at having a new student disrupt his class in the middle of the semester. His beady eyes narrowed on the joint in her outstretched hand.

_Oh fuck_.

She had been set up. That bastard Hans had planned this. There was only one thing to do. Elsa bolted the other way down the hall. Shouts rang after her to stop, but they only made her run faster. A bathroom door came into view and Elsa skidded, nearly flying right past it, but managed to propel herself through the swinging door. She hurled herself at the nearest stall, tossing the incriminating evidence in the toilet and stomped on the flusher.

Her teacher appeared right behind her in time to see the suspicious joint get whisked away into the school's plumbing. The fact that she had run would have been evidence enough in most people's minds, but without the physical specimen there was nothing her teacher could do. He shoved his reddening face right into hers. Elsa could feel his sour breath blow against her face, "I've got my eye on you McCormack! Don't think you're going to get away with this!"

* * *

Elsa had had a long day. Her teachers had been giving her a hard time since the joint incident and work at the mill had been exhausting. She sat at the kitchen table in her uncle's house trying to concentrate on her homework. The faint light in the dinning room wasn't the best to read by and soon the words began to blur together. Elsa hung her head in her palms, rubbing the spots out of her eyes. She hadn't noticed her Uncle Kai sit down until he was there beside her.

He didn't look directly at Elsa, but at the newspaper in his hands, "Seems that some kids was raising Hell over at the Cranston farm a few days back. Tore up the fields, tipped over a tractor and everything!" He finally let his eyes stray sideways, examining Elsa for a reaction. "Then today, I hear there's been some trouble up at the high school. Something to do with drugs? You wouldn't know anything about that would you Elsa?"

She stared at her notes. "No sir."

"You know Elsa," Uncle Kai said loud enough to be heard in the kitchen where her aunt and mother were cleaning the dishes, "When we used to call up your folks in Corona, I don't think there was any trouble back then was there?"

Elsa lifted her gaze to look at her mom. Her uncle's snide tone hadn't moved her, but the disappointment on her mother's face made her want to crawl into a hole. Worry lines creased her mother's brow. She looked tired, probably from working her ass off to support them. The last thing Elsa wanted was to add to her mother's worries.

"Now I don't know what to make of all this," Her uncle continued, "But a lot of people are pointing the finger in your direction. You seem to be having a lot of trouble since you moved here, and I figure..."

Elsa threw her pen at her notebook, "You figure where there's smoke there's fire right?" She was sick of everyone blaming her without giving her a chance to explain.

"That's usually how it works!" Uncle Kai's scowl softened and he put down his paper to face her directly. "Look Elsa, I would never try to take the place of your father..."

Elsa snapped. First accusations, then pity she didn't want. She shot up from her seat and stormed toward the door, "Good, because there's no chance of that happening!"

Elsa didn't know where she was going, but it didn't matter. She needed to get out that house. No one in this dive of a town was willing to give her a chance, not even her own family, and that hurt more deeply than any revenge Hans could have concocted for her.

* * *

**A/N:** I've been advised that I should make my chapters longer, but I ended up splitting this one so I could work on the next part a bit more and make it even better. Old habits... I'm working on the description thing too, but it's probably not noticeable. Anyway, to make up for the short chapters, the next one will be along soon!


	6. But I know you want to run

**A/N:** The song Elsa dances to in this chapter is _Never_ by Moving Pictures, in case you are interested.

* * *

Elsa drove into the empty warehouse. Oaken used it as a storage space, but it was late and nobody would be around. Elsa had driven all over town looking for a place where she could be alone, where she could let loose. She needed to get all the anger and frustration out of her system. There was one good way to do that, but she was miles away from anything resembling a club so the empty warehouse would have to do.

Elsa fumbled through the glove box, pulling out a tape and shoving it into the Volkswagen's tape deck. She cranked the volume as loud as it would go. It wasn't much, but with the windows down, the music echoed across the steel walls, bouncing through the warehouse creating it's own mood. Elsa got out of the car, slamming her fist into the hood. She wanted to scream, run, punch Hans in his stupid face. She wanted to let go. Ripping her sweatshirt over her head, she tossed it into the back seat, her skin rippling with goose bumps from wearing nothing but a light undershirt. It was fine. She was about to get hot and bothered anyway.

Elsa let the music take over her body, succumbing to the beat. Her converse sneakers scraped against the concrete floor, propelling her through the crates and around the pipes and beams scattered throughout the warehouse. Before long, she was leaping through the air, bouncing off walls and rolling through the dust. Elsa would have flown if she could, but for the time being she'd have to settle for dancing.

As the song died down, clapping rang through the air. Elsa wheeled around looking for the source then froze when her eyes fell on Anna.

Elsa wiped the sweat from her brow, suddenly conscious that she was wearing nothing but a sweat soaked undershirt. "What are you doing here?"

"Watchin'." Anna raked her eyes hungrily over Elsa's body, her lips pulling into a predatory grin.

Elsa's shoulders went up to her ears as she suddenly felt very exposed. She walked over to her car, scrambling to pull her sweatshirt from the back seat and over her head. "I thought I was alone."

"Not in this town!" Anna came up to the other side of the car, resting her elbows on its roof. "I was walking home from Rusty's when I saw you driving around. You seemed upset..." The redhead drummed her fingers on the car's roof, her confidence fading, "I can go if you want."

"Nah, I'm finished anyway." Elsa pushed the sleeves of her sweatshirt up to her elbows, before jamming her hands in her pockets and walking around to Anna's side of the car. She leaned against the little Beetle, searching for something to say to the beautiful girl in front of her, but her mind went blank.

Anna's eyes crinkled as she grinned at Elsa's awkward invitation to stay. "Where'd you learn to dance like that?"

"I took lessons when I was a kid, but most of the time I make it up as I go." Elsa raked her fingers through her sweaty hair. "I needed to let off some steam."

"Folks still giving you a hard time?" Anna said softly, tracing invisible lines on the roof of the car.

"You would know!" Elsa took a step back, remembering exactly who she was talking to. "Your boyfriend would probably rip my lungs out with a spoon if he saw me talking to you!"

"Ha! Hans Cranston doesn't own me!" As if to prove it, Anna leaned forward, "Do you want to kiss me?"

Elsa stood deathly still, shocked by Anna's openness. Every fibre in her body screamed at her to close the distance, take Anna into her arms and press their lips together. But it wasn't right. Elsa didn't exist just for Anna to make a point about how rebellious she could be. As much as she wanted to kiss Anna, she didn't want it to be like this. Elsa squared her shoulders with intent, "Someday."

Anna drew back disappointed, but then she laughed. "I'm such an idiot."

"You're not." Elsa reached out grabbing the handle to pull the passenger side door open. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

Anna rolled away towards the hood of the car, leaning her back against the Beetle and tossing her head back to look up at the warehouse ceiling. "I don't want to go home."

Elsa paused, her hand resting on the door handle. Neither did she.

"Hey, you wanna see something?" A light sparkled in the redhead's eyes.

Elsa was skeptical, but decided to accept the olive branch, "Sure."

Anna led them out of the warehouse and around the property to a small outbuilding nestled among the junk stored in the yard. Darkness had fallen, leaving the lights from the street and the adjacent train yard to cast long, eerie shadows through the warehouse property. Anna seemed to know exactly where she was going however, ignoring the deep shadows and picking her way through the junk by memory rather than sight. The little metal shack she led them to was covered in rust stains that ate through multiple layers of paint. Elsa would have missed the entrance if she hadn't seen Anna duck through it.

"You coming?" Anna poked her head out of the entrance, her ginger hair turned copper in the glow of the streetlight.

Elsa held her breath and followed. She wasn't sure what she had expected to find in the little shack, but it wasn't this. Graffiti ran over every surface in varying sizes and lengths, but it wasn't the normal crude stuff that she'd expect from a bunch of teenagers. No, there were poems and songs, quotes from Shakespeare and clever originals. Elsa ran her fingers over a stanza near the door. "This is amazing."

"It's called 'the yearbook.'" Anna's voice echoed through the hollow room. "It's mostly stuff we're not supposed to read, but some of it, we make up ourselves."

"Wow," Elsa stood in the center of the shack, marvelling at the collection around her. "I would have never guessed!"

"You think we're all small town don't you?" Anna crossed her arms over her chest, lifting her chin in challenge to Elsa.

"N-no! I never said that!" Elsa held up her hands wondering when everyone would stop picking fights with her.

"You didn't have to." Anna sighed, dropping her arms to her sides before running her hands over the graffiti, "We are small town for the most part. But this... this gives me hope that there's more to life out there."

"There is and there isn't," Elsa admitted. There were things she missed about the big city, and then there were things she was happy to have left behind. "It all depends where you look."

"Anywhere but here's fine with me. I can't wait to get out of here, and I'm going to! You wait and see! I've applied to colleges and everything! Hell, I've applied to colleges even my Daddy doesn't know about. He's gonna come after me, but I'll be gone..." Silence permeated the shack. Anna smacked Elsa in the arm, "You shouldn't let me ramble like that!"

"Why not, it's cute!" Elsa didn't want to interrupt the dreamy look that came over Anna when she talked about escaping Arendelle.

Anna puffed out her reddening cheeks like she wanted to say something but held it back.

"Does Hans stop you when you ramble?"

Pain shot across Anna's face.

Elsa backtracked, "I... I'm sorry Anna, I shouldn't have..."

"No you're right. He's a jerk sometimes." Anna bent down and crawled through a small opening in the wall.

Elsa followed. She needed answers. "So why are you dating him then?"

Elsa came out on the other side where Anna was sitting on a ledge overlooking the train yard, swinging her legs back and forth over the edge. Anna stared at her boots. They looked almost black in dim light, not the eye catching red Anna loved to stomp around in. Elsa sat beside her, waiting for her to answer.

"He wasn't so bad when we first started dating you know." Anna smiled recalling their early days together. "He was charming, sweet even. I thought I loved him, but now I'm wondering if I even know what love is." Anna tucked a strand of hair behind an ear before turning to look at Elsa. "You're brave for sticking up to him."

Elsa laughed, but it rang hollow, "I'm not brave. I'm the opposite of brave!"

"How can you say that!" Anna became indignant. "You kicked his ass in the chicken race!"

"Because my shoelace got wrapped around the brake pedal! I tried jumping ship! Didn't you see me?"

"I did, but I thought..."

"I'm a coward Anna! I know I act like a big shot, but I run away from all my problems! I tried to jump from the tractor! I ran from my teacher at school! Hell I even ran away from my uncle tonight when he tried to talk to me! I run away from everything! Just like my father!" Elsa slammed her fists into the ledge. Her throat tightened and her eyes burned, threatening tears.

"So take a stand." Anna stared at her, teal eyes boring through Elsa's self-pity. "I know you can. I think you're brave."

"Heh. At least one of us does." Elsa had no idea where Anna's undying faith in her came from. It was misguided at best, but still, it lit this tiny spark of hope in Elsa's heart that she couldn't douse no matter how much doubt she tried to bury it under.

"You are brave. Don't let anyone tell you different!" Anna insisted.

"No, you're the brave one." Elsa was thankful the darkness hid the heat rising in her cheeks.

"How on earth do you figure that?" Anna screeched, leaning back to examine Elsa as though she might be crazy.

"Because no matter what happens to you or anyone else, you never give up."

"I think you're confusing bravery with stubbornness."

"Maybe," Elsa laughed. "You don't seem to be afraid of anything though."

"That's not true. That's not true at all..."

"Oh yeah? Then what are you afraid of?"

Anna went silent, which unnerved Elsa more than anything the girl could have said.

"Come on," Elsa got to her feet and offered Anna a hand. "It's late. Let's go home."

For once, Anna didn't argue.

* * *

Anna tried sneaking in through the back door. None of the lights were on in the house meaning her parents were both in bed. If she was quiet enough she wouldn't wake them and they would be none the wiser to her late entrance. Anna turned to go up the stairs and stopped cold. Her father was standing on the landing as if he'd been waiting there the whole night.

Her father's quiet voice was almost deafening in the silence of the night. "I find it hard to impose a curfew on my congregation when I can't even enforce one in my own home. Where were you?"

"Daddy, I'm sorry I'm late..."

"Have you been drinking?"

"No!" Anna said frustrated, because for once it was true. "I wasn't smoking, or drinking or listening to music I'm not supposed to listen to! I am simply late!"

"Who were you with?"

Anna saw no reason to lie, "Elsa McCormack."

"I've heard disturbing things about that girl."

Anger flared up in Anna like a hot coal, "Just because she wasn't born in this town doesn't mean she's bad!"

"I don't think you understand Anna. I forbid you from seeing her."

"No you don't understand!" Anna had had it with everyone's small town attitude and her father's pervasive attempts to control her. "She's perfectly fine, but everyone keeps giving her a hard time because she's different!"

Her father's voice lowered, dangerously so, "Anna, you are not to see that girl. Am I clear?"

Anna tried to swallow. Her mouth felt like it was full of sand. There would be no argument, no reasoning with her father. "Yes Daddy." She pushed her way past him going to her room. "Good night."

"Good night sweetheart. I..."

Anna didn't hear the rest of it. She shut the door on him.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I've been having a shitty couple of days so they mean a lot to me.

I have read _A Formal Arrangement_. It's a favourite of mine actually. All that delicious sexual tension... and so much description! I'll try to learn a thing or two from the author's writing style. :p


	7. It's time for tearing free!

Anna was going to spend the night at Sven's. At least that was the lie she told her parents and she was sticking to it. She probably would end up on Sven's couch at some point during the wee hours of the morning, but that was beside the point. What Anna wasn't telling them was where she and her friends were really going, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

Anna had a hard time containing herself, but the thought of letting the wrong thing slip in front of her parents was enough to cool her down. As Kristoff's Pinto pulled into the driveway, Anna nearly flew out the door in glee, shouting a quick goodbye to her mother. She threw her hands in the air feeling the crisp night air on her skin and watching the stars sparkle down on the carriage that would spirit her away for the night. Tonight was going to be magical.

Sven waved at her from the passenger seat to hurry up, as if Anna's parents might change their minds and storm out of the house to drag her back inside. Everyone in the car was cursing at her to move faster, but Anna took her sweet time opening the back door of the car and throwing her bag inside.

"Get in already!" Kristoff lifted his foot off the break for a second letting the car roll forward as if he was going to drive away and leave Anna behind.

Anna took the hint and jumped into the back seat. She hadn't even closed the door before the car began to speed off down the road.

"Wooooooooooohooooooooooo! We're free!" Kristoff roared at the top of his lungs. He was joined by Sven and Anna who pounded on their seats.

There was one more passenger though, who remained quiet, sitting back and laughing at the Arendellians making asses of themselves. Elsa sat crammed in the back seat with Anna. Her light blue blouse, rippled against her body from the air rushing through the open windows. It matched her eyes, bringing out their icy blue colour in the dark car. Her hair was in it's usual braid, draped casually over one shoulder and tight jeans hugged the shapely contours of her legs. Anna laughed when she saw the worn cowboy boots riding up Elsa's calves.

"What?" Elsa followed her gaze. "I'm just trying to fit it! When in Rome..."

"Arendelle is hardly Rome!" Anna shifted anxiously, trying to find a position that would be comfortable, but not overbearing to Elsa's personal space. It was proving to be a difficult task in the cramped back seat. Anna studied Elsa's face, searching for signs of how Elsa was feeling, but the other girl was proving hard to read. Then Anna became distracted when she realized Elsa had her own light dusting of freckles across her cheeks.

Anna was vaguely aware that Elsa was talking to her. She had to force her concentration back to the real world, "What?"

"I said, you look beautiful."

Anna panicked as her face became a furnace. She was sure every inch of exposed skin was turning as red as her boots. Why had she decided on the pink camisole that showed off her shoulders? She couldn't look that good, not compared to the girl sitting beside her. Anna realized she still hadn't responded so she opened her mouth, "You look beautifuller! No! No! Not fuller, I mean, more beautiful!" _Wow. Way to bring your A-game Anderson._

Elsa brought a hand to her lips trying to hide a smile but failing. "Thank you." At least one of them knew how to take a compliment.

"Should we drop the two of you off at a motel along the way?" Kristoff broke the moment.

Anna and Sven swatted at him at the same time. The car swerved as Kristoff tried to dodge their wrath.

"I kid! I kid! Mercy!" He cried.

Anna sat back in her seat with a "humph!" and Sven broke into giggles.

Elsa was clutching her stomach, trying not to let her laughter show, "I'm so glad you guys came up with this idea! I can't wait to get out on a real dance floor!"

Kristoff had come up with the idea. They would have to drive for a couple hours to get anywhere near civilized enough to have a dance club, but the road trip would be worth it, for Elsa's sake. Anna watched as excitement lit up Elsa's face. Totally worth it.

"It was Anna's plan actually." Kristoff said.

Except that is wasn't. Anna caught the subtly raised eyebrow Kristoff was giving her through the rearview mirror, and took his cue, "We thought of it together! I know how much you like to dance and miss the clubs and everything, and I think the rest of us need to get out of Arendelle too..." Anna bit down on her lip. She was rambling again. She waited for someone to admonish her or tell her to shut up, but no one did.

"Well, as a team effort then, thank you guys! This is the best thing that's happened to me since I moved here!"

Anna was practically vibrating with excitement. _Just wait Elsa, it gets better!_

Anna was surprised how fast the drive went. She could have sat in the back seat for hours with Elsa. When they finally reached a larger urban center, Kristoff parked in an empty lot and proceeded to lead them down the streets searching for the right building. He stopped short outside an unremarkable building. Anna was about to berate him for bringing them to the dingiest hole in the wall he could find, but when Elsa's eyes widened and a smile burst onto her face, Anna settled down. She followed Elsa's gaze to the rainbow flag flying above the door. Anna had never been to a gay bar before, but she figured it was about time.

Elsa brought her hands to her mouth containing a gasp, before searching the faces of her friends one by one. "For real guys?!"

"I feel like I should say 'happy birthday' or something with how excited you are." Kristoff scratched the back of his head.

"I can't believe you guys would do this for me! I mean, I didn't know there was a gay bar anywhere within a thousand miles of Arendelle!" Elsa was so happy she looked like she might burst into tears.

Anna gave her a shove towards the door, "Well, are we going to stand out here all night gushing, or are we going to do some dancing!"

Elsa needed no second bidding. She grabbed Anna's hand and pulled her to the door. Anna had to laugh. Elsa was beyond excited. She had reached, 'kid on Christmas morning' status. Inside the club, different coloured lights filtered through the smoky air. It was much larger than Anna would have thought. A bar rose up against the far wall, surrounded by tables full of drinking and smoking people, but Anna didn't have much time to take it in as Elsa pulled her straight to the dance floor.

The floor was full, but not so packed you couldn't move around. It was perfect. Anna let loose, jumping into the fray in all her dorky glory. Elsa didn't seem to mind one bit as she spun in her boots, smiling from ear to ear. She picked up the beat of the throbbing bass and let the music take her over. Anna had to marvel at how graceful Elsa was. If she thought Elsa was amazing when she caught her dancing in the warehouse, she had nothing on her now that she was in her element as queen of the dance floor.

They danced together for a few songs, letting the heat of the dance floor infect them. Anna got the feeling Elsa could have continued dancing forever, but Anna couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. Kristoff and Sven! They had gone to grab drinks, but they shouldn't have been gone this long! Anna broke away from Elsa to look around the bar. She spotted her friends sitting at a table, nursing beers and looking far too miserable to be in a place this full of energy.

Anna bounced over to the table, surprised when Elsa came with her, not leaving her side.

"You guys warmed up enough to join us?" Elsa spread her arms, inviting the couple to the dance floor.

"Give me a sec!" Sven downed the last of her beer, slamming the bottle back down on the table. "Whoo! I'll be right back, then we're going to get out there!" Sven shot a look at Kristoff before walking off to the bathroom.

When his girlfriend was out of sight, Kristoff groaned, hanging his head in his hands. He pushed his hair back, staring pleadingly at Anna and Elsa, "Can you two please, take care of Sven? She really wants to dance!"

"What about you? Are you ok?" Elsa leaned down to check on him.

Kristoff refused to meet their eyes, talking through tight lips, "I can't dance."

"What?" Elsa screeched as if he had told her he didn't know how to breathe.

"I can't dance!" Kristoff threw his hands in the air.

"Why didn't you say something!?" Elsa asked. "What did you think we were going to do tonight?"

"I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to bring the rest of you down. I want you guys to have a good time."

"Well it's hard with you being all mopey!" Anna huffed.

Kristoff dug his fingers into his scalp, "It's been all Sven's talked about all week! She won't shut up about dancing, and now she's talking about prom, and I don't even know how to dance!"

"Whoa, calm down!" Elsa held up a hand, "There's no problem here. I can teach you to dance!"

Kristoff looked doubtful, "You think you can teach a brick to swim?"

"No, but I can teach a goofball like you how to dance for his prom!" Elsa gave his ear a flick. "Look, take it easy tonight, but I'm not going to let you off the hook that easy!"

Anna felt a tug at her heartstrings. Kristoff had sacrificed so much for their happiness. She threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight. "You big lug! You can't get away from us that easy!"

Kristoff pushed Anna back, "If Elsa wants to teach me, fine, but you couldn't dance your way out of a paper bag!"

Anna punched his arm just as Sven came back to the table. She looked from Anna to Kristoff, "What's wrong?"

"Kristoff's not feeling well," Anna cut off her friend's attempt at finding an excuse for not joining his girlfriend on the dance floor, "But you can dance with us Sven!"

Sven eyed her boyfriend, "I don't want to leave you by yourself if you're not feeling well!"

"Go!" Kristoff attempted to wave them away, but the pouty look on his face wasn't helping.

"No, I'll stay here." Sven sat beside him, wrapping her arm around his. "You two go dance!"

Anna sighed. Her friends could be so stubborn sometimes. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find us."

Anna returned to the dance floor with Elsa. She should have been content to have the gorgeous blonde all to herself, but it was hard to shake completely free from the guilt of dragging her friends on one of her adventures for nothing. Eventually, as the night wore on, Sven popped up beside her. Anna squealed in delight, happy she decided to join them, even if it took forever.

Sven danced with Anna and Elsa for a while, but it wasn't long before a buff cowgirl swept Sven off her feet into a more personal dance. Sven went with the flow, enjoying the moment, twirling around the dance floor with her new partner.

Suddenly Kristoff was there next to them, his hands balled into fists. He was shaking, but Anna wasn't sure if it was from fear of being exposed on the dance floor or from the hurt of seeing Sven dance with someone else. He walked right up to Sven and her partner, "Hey, I came here with that girl!"

The butch cowgirl shot him a smirk, "Doesn't look like you're leaving with her!"

"Hey!" Kristoff didn't back down. "I guess you didn't hear me the first time!"

Sven stepped between them, "Calm down Kristoff! It's just a dance! How could you think I'd be going home with anybody but you?"

Sven was right. He was being silly. Sven grabbed his arm and began to drag Kristoff off the floor, but the cowgirl wouldn't let them get away. "Fucking slut! Leading me on to get your boyfriend off!"

"Don't you talk to her like that!" Kristoff spun around, but before he could say anything else a fist collided with his face.

Screams broke out in the club as the cowgirl began to pummel Kristoff. Elsa threw her arms around the cowgirl's shoulders and tore them apart, but before either Kristoff or the cowgirl could get their barrings, Elsa was pushing him out the door. "Come on! Let's get out of here!" Anna grabbed Sven and they all made for an emergency exit. None of them stopped running until they reached the parking lot where they had left Kristoff's car.

"Oh my God!" Sven screamed when she saw the blood streaming down Kristoff's face.

"She hit you good!" Elsa patted his back in approval.

"Don't rub it in!" Kristoff leaned forward pinching the bridge of his nose, hoping to steam the tide of blood gushing out.

"You idiot!" Sven wrapped her arms around him. "Why did you have to get in a fight?"

"He got hurt because of me." Elsa hugged her arms across her stomach, leaning against the car. When no one said anything, she continued, "Oh come on! If it wasn't for me you guys would never have come to this stupid bar!"

Kristoff began to laugh. "Really Elsa? You think I've never been in a bar fight before? Though I don't think I've ever been hit by a girl before, besides Sven that is."

Sven went to swat him, but thought better of it. Kristoff's laughter was infectious and before long the four of them were all laughing at each other. Kristoff opened the driver's side door, but before he could sit himself down, Elsa pulled him back.

"I don't think so buddy. You think you can see through all that swelling? Besides, you've have enough beers for all of us."

Kristoff didn't argue and tossed the keys at Elsa before crawling into the back seat. Sven went with him, and they cuddled up next to each other.

"Sweet, I get shotgun!" Anna cried as she bounced around the car.

It was a long drive back to Arendelle. After the adrenaline from their adventure wore off, Kristoff and Sven passed out in the back seat, wrapped in each other's arms.

"God, they're too cute!" Anna twisted in her seat to poke at her friends but they were out cold.

"Leave them be," Elsa scolded her.

Anna sat back in her seat, her eyes drawn to Elsa. "Maybe I'm just jealous." _Where did that come from? Do I even think before I open my mouth?_

"Of what?" Elsa gently prodded Anna to open up.

"I don't know." Anna took a moment to think, but nothing in particular came to mind, so she kept talking, "I guess I don't have anyone who'd take a punch for me like that and laugh it off."

"Yeah right! Hans doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would let someone off the hook if they insulted his girlfriend like that!"

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be for my honour, it would be for his." Anna could see his shallowness clearly now. The most important thing in the world to Hans, was Hans. She wasn't sure where that left her.

"You don't think any of your friends would take a hit for you?"

"Would you?" Anna searched Elsa, afraid of the answer.

"I don't know." Elsa ran her fingers through her hair. "It's not a situation I'd like to be in."

"My knight in shining armour!" Anna spat out sarcastically.

"Hey you're the brave one remember!" Elsa teased. "Be your own knight!"

Something clicked inside Anna. She should be her own hero. Urges screamed inside her, to break up with Hans, to be worthy of her father's trust and to be the kind of romantic partner Elsa deserved. For so long she had been trying to keep her head above water, tyring to be the person everyone else wanted her or didn't want her to be, instead of being herself. She needed to believe in herself and trust in the good person that she was.

"What's wrong?" Elsa questioned the silence that had fallen between them.

"Nothing. For once, everything is really clear."

Elsa raised an eyebrow at Anna.

"Don't worry, you'll see." Anna reached out, placing a hand on Elsa's shoulder. When Elsa didn't draw away, Anna gave her a little squeeze. "I've got some things to sort out, but I promise I'll take care of everything."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry this update took so long. This chapter really kicked my ass. I don't think I was made to write fluff. I'm honestly not sure where I'm going with the gay thing. I actually wanted to tone it down, but that doesn't necessarily reflect the views of the time period. In the end, I think this story is almost in more my own spirit than those of either movie I'm taking from. I guess I'm trying to say, I know it might be a little wonky, but thanks for giving it a chance anyway.

Also, this is my longest chapter yet, but I struggled a lot with description. :/


	8. Pain burning in your eyes

**WARNING:** It's about to get dirty and violent in here, 80s redneck style. The following scene contains assault / fighting. You can skip to the chapter break if you don't want to read the violent stuff.

* * *

Anna strutted across the bleachers gazing out across the football field. Memories washed over her. Happy ones like past football games, cheering her heart out for the home team, and getting drunk at the after parties. It was bittersweet to think of the happy times she'd had here, especially with the task she had before her. It was time to break it off with Hans and move on. She'd waited too long already. Anna asked to meet him under the bleachers after school. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. It was the right thing to do.

She walked down the ramp that led off the bleachers to where Hans had parked his truck behind them. Anna froze. Hans was leaning against the door of his truck, pulling a long drag from his cigarette, but the look on his face said everything. Dark circles under his eyes marred his normally pristine skin. He knew what was coming.

Anna willed herself forward. Knowing wasn't going to make this any easier. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she approached, watching her feet kick up dust from the gravel, "I wanted to talk to you..."

"You don't have to tell me nothing!" Hans snapped at her. "I know what this is about!" He threw the cigarette to the dirt, grinding it under his heel.

Anna squared her shoulders, fighting the urge to let them crawl up to her ears. She looked Hans in the eye, "I wanted to tell you myself."

Hans laughed in that patronizing way he had, "I know why you don't want to see me anymore. I'm not stupid!" He spat at the gravel between them. "I'm not blind either! It's Elsa ain't it? You're just dying to screw that dyke ain't ya?"

"You're so stupid!" This was way beyond Anna wanting someone else, but if that's what Hans needed to get this through his head, she wasn't going to correct him. She was done with his thick-headedness. It was over and they both knew it. There was no point hashing things out further. Anna spun on her heel and walked away.

Hans ran up beside her, refusing to let her get away, "Stupid!? You think I don't see the way you look at her, like some bitch in heat?" His tone became vindictive, "You'll wrap those skinny legs around anybody won't you?"

"Shut up!" Anna couldn't stand it anymore. She buried her fist in Hans' face with a loud crack. The contact and the noise were satisfying.

Hans drew back, shocked. He raised a hand to his now bleeding lip, staring at the blood his fingers drew away. His eyes clouded over and he dove at Anna like an animal, slapping her across the face. "This is the thanks I get!?"

_It's always about you isn't it?_ Anna shouldn't have been shocked that he hit her back, but her head still reeled from the blow. Her cheek stung and her eyes watered. Hans was already walking away, opening the door to his precious truck.

"You're not going to get away with this!" Anna mustered all her strength and dove towards the truck bed where she found a long metal pipe. She picked it up, swinging the pipe menacingly between her and Hans.

Hans paled, holding up his hands in surrender, "No Anna, don't..."

SMASH! The truck's headlight fractured into millions of little pieces.

"No Anna!"

SMASH! There goes the other one.

Anna raised the pipe, aiming at the windshield, but as she brought it down Hans grabbed her from behind, punching and clawing at her arms. The blows forced the pipe out of Anna's grasp, and then Hans closed his arms around her in an iron grip, wrestling her to the ground. Anna threw her elbows back against his stomach until one made solid contact. Hans wheezed and his arms fell away. Anna got to her knees, placing one foot beneath her, but before she could get up, a vice-like grip clamped down on her ankle dragging her back to the ground.

Hans pinned her on her back in the dirt, his face wild and full of anger. She didn't recognize the monster glaring down at her, but she didn't have much time to stare as his fist pounded into her face. It was a solid punch. Anna felt her eye swelling, and tasted blood from her teeth cutting the inside of her cheek. She tried curling into a ball to protect herself, but just as suddenly as he had tackled her, Hans was on his feet running for his truck. Typical. Even when he had the advantage Hans was a coward.

When he was a safe distance away, with one foot in his truck, Hans hurled his parting shot, "I was about through with you anyway!"

The door slammed and the truck's tires spun in the gravel. Anna tried getting to her hands and knees, but her body refused to respond. Her limbs shook like jelly beneath her and she collapsed to the ground. All she could do was weakly throw a fistful of dirt at the truck as it sped away. As the dust settled, Anna began to sob.

* * *

Anna remained curled up under the bleachers for a long time. The sun hung low in the sky and shadows spread across the field. She didn't move, even when the blue Volkswagen pulled up a short distance away. She heard Elsa calling her name, but there was no response in Anna to give. She didn't want anyone to see her. Not right now. Not like this.

"Anna?" Converse sneakers strutted into her field of vision. "Jesus! What happened!" Elsa skidded to a halt in front of her, falling to her knees and reaching out, but stopping short when Anna didn't respond. "Oh my God Anna! What happened?!"

"I broke up with Hans..." Anna's voice cracked, her mouth dry. She managed to push herself up from the ground, curling into a sitting position, pulling her knees to her chest.

Elsa began to shake, "I'll kill him! I'll fucking kill him!"

"No don't. It's over..." Anna's limbs filled with pins and needles as sensation started to return to them. She pushed her hair out of her eyes so she could look at Elsa.

"Are you serious?! You should see your face!" Elsa's voice continued to rise, her eyebrows knitting together in panic.

Anna felt strangely calm. She tried to smile, but winced from the pain, "You should see the other guy!"

"He's not going to get away with hurting you like this..."

"Who said he did?" Anna cut her off mid-rant. "Look, I took care of it. I hit him. He hit me. I smashed the shit out of his truck. End of story. Just let it go."

"Are you sure?" Elsa reached out, tentatively placing a hand on Anna's shoulder.

Anna, laced her fingers over Elsa's, reinforcing the contact with her body. There was no reason to be timid. Anna wanted to feel something solid, something real next to her. "I'm sure. It's over. Let it go."

Elsa ran her fingers over Anna's shoulder, then up her neck, to cup her uninjured cheek, "As long as you're ok, that's all that matters."

Anna leaned forward, closing the distance between them, wrapping her arms around Elsa. "Of course I'm ok! Everything's going to be ok!"

Elsa clung to her, holding her tight as if she might disappear, "Who's comforting who here?"

"Well, you did say I was the brave one." Anna nuzzled into the worn leather of Elsa's jacket. "As a knight I have to comfort my princess."

"Since when am I the princess?" Elsa stiffened.

"Oh come on! Like you don't look down on all us peasants!"

"Anna!"

Anna sighed, her ribs aching from the breath. Using humour as a balm for the pain inside could only go so far. Elsa was clearly worried for her and teasing wasn't helping. "Sorry. I'm sorry I have to put you through this. You deserve better."

Elsa loosened her grip enough to draw back to look Anna in the eye. The fading light cast shadows across her face, but her eyes burned a fierce, icy blue, "So do you."

Anna fought to hide her blush, but there was nowhere to run. Instead she leaned back into Elsa, whispering into the blonde's ear, "Do you think you'll ever want to kiss me?"

"Oh Anna!" Elsa tilted her head until her nose brushed against Anna's uninjured cheek. Anna could feel Elsa's breath ghosting over her skin. She wanted to stay like this forever, lost in the sensation of being close to Elsa. And yet she wanted more. Anna slowly turned her face into Elsa's until she caught the other girl's lips with hers. Anna trembled at the contact, waiting for Elsa to pull away, but instead Elsa lightly returned the kiss, pressing into her, but avoiding the bruised side of Anna's mouth. Anna flicked her tongue against Elsa's lips and they parted, ever so slightly. Anna probed a tentative tongue in Elsa's mouth and the other girl let Anna explore a little before pushing her back and firmly locking their lips together. Elsa sealed the kiss by pulling gently on Anna's lower lip before drawing away.

Anna shivered. She had been kissed many times, but never had anyone kissed her so sweetly. Was this what it was like to kiss someone who truly cared about you? Fresh tears rolled down Anna's cheeks and she buried her face in Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa let her stay like that for a while, simply holding her as she cried, occasionally placing a kiss on her head or her ear. Eventually, strength returned to Anna's limbs and she pulled back. "I think it's time to go home."

"I'll give you a ride." Elsa placed a kiss on Anna's forehead.

"Um, how do I look?" Anna tugged at her braids.

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Anna slumped forward, "My Dad is going to freak out on me!"

"Do you want me to talk to him with you?"

Elsa hadn't left her side. Anna knew she'd brave the storm of her father if she asked. "No, it'll be alright, I mean, having you there might make things more complicated and I can handle him better without distractions... Thank you though."

"You'll call me if you need me right?" Elsa pulled her close, kissing Anna's pulse.

"Yes!" The word came out a lot more breathy and heated than Anna meant it too, but the sensation of Elsa's lips on her neck was enough to light Anna's body on fire. She covered her face as a blush tore through her cheeks. "Argh! The things you do to me!"

Elsa laughed. "I think it's a good sign that your adorkable side is shining though. It means you'll be aright after all."

"Whatever you say, your majesty!" Anna pinched the other girl's side. Elsa was right though. Things might not have gone according to plan, but Anna had weathered the storm all the same. For the first time in forever, Anna felt like she could do anything.

* * *

**A/N:** We're entering the home stretch here folks! Thanks for all your lovely support! I love reading each and every review! It might take a little longer than normal for the next chapter, but seeing how often I update, it shouldn't be too much of a wait.


	9. You've got to cut the ties

The warm glow from the lights coming from her house made Anna want to cry. She had to tell Elsa about four times that she would be fine to convince her to drive away, leaving Anna standing on her own doorstep, afraid to enter. She rubbed her arms, trying to force away the chill in the evening air. All she had to do was step inside, but she was afraid. Sure, she could have snuck around the back and up to her room without her parents noticing, but she couldn't hide forever. Balling her hands into fists, Anna strode forward ripping the front door open. It was warm inside, but instead of being comforting it felt claustrophobic and stuffy. Anna felt her hands grow clammy.

"I'm home!" Anna announced and waited for a response, but none came. Typical. She could hear her mother in the kitchen so that's where she went. Her mother was at the sink with her back to Anna as she washed the dishes.

"I'm home," Anna repeated.

Her mother turned to greet her, but when her eyes fell on Anna's swollen face she let out an alarmed squeak and dropped the dish she was holding. Anna winced as it smashed on the floor. She'd had enough smashing for one day.

"Anna!" Her mother gasped in horror, "What happened!?"

"I broke up with Hans."

"What..." Her mother looked at her blankly, struggling to register Anna's calm words. Instead, she went to the refrigerator, grabbed a bag of peas from the freezer and rushed over to place the bag on her daughter's face.

Anna hissed at the contact, but let her mother minister to her. Aside from the pain of touching the bruise, the bag of frozen peas felt nice against her burning face. She brought a hand over her mother's holding the older woman's fingers a moment before taking the bag from her. "I'm sorry."

"What? Anna why are you apologizing?"

"What's going on?" Anna's father loomed in the doorway of the kitchen, his eyes widened when he saw the state of his daughter. "What did you do?"

Anna wanted to throw the bag of peas at him, but it felt too nice against her flaming face. "I broke up with Hans."

"I told you that Cranston boy was trouble! I knew it! Right from the start! I'm going to give Mr. Cranston a piece of my mind!"

"No..." Anna leaned against the kitchen table for support. She had to wait a moment for her father to cool down before he could be reasoned with, so she let him rant. She giggled. It was almost funny.

"What's so funny!" Her father reared on her.

"Nothing." Anna pulled the bag of peas away from her face, setting it down on the table and squared her shoulders, facing her father. Her spine was straight, her shoulders relaxed and her gaze fixed, even through her swollen eye. She felt a lot calmer than she should be. "I shouldn't have laughed, but I can't help it. You get so worked up sometimes over the silliest little things."

"Little! My daughter comes home with a broken face and you think that's silly?"

"No, I don't. But it's my problem and I wish you'd let me solve it myself."

The reverend waved a hand at her battered face, "This! This is the result of your decision making!"

Anger welled in Anna's chest. She let it spill out. "It is! You're right! I made some poor choices, but I only made them because of you!"

Her father took a step back, his eyebrows threatening to jump off his forehead, "So this is my fault now?"

"No." Anna took a deep breath. She was messing things up already. Still, it was time to be honest and let everything out. "It's my fault, but everything I've ever done has been to please or piss off somebody else, especially you! Can't you see that? I'm tired of living my life for other people! This," Anna pointed at her face, "Is the first thing I've done that I did because it was right for me! I have a lot of messes to clean up and no one said it was going to be easy!"

"Oh God Anna," The reverend rubbed a hand over his face, massaging his jaw, "I've been far too lenient with you."

"Did you hear a word I just said!"

"This is my fault. I should have paid more attention..."

"That's the problem!" Anna stomped her foot, "You're never as interested in what I'm doing as when I walk out that door! But when I'm right here in front of you, you don't give a damn!"

"Anna, language..." Her father's voice lowered, a sure sign that he was becoming frustrated.

"Swearing is the least of my sins Daddy! Christ I'm not even a virgin anymore!"

Silence swallowed the kitchen, save for a small gasp from her mother.

Her father's eyes nearly bugged out of his head and his voice finally rose to a yell, "Don't you talk like that!"

"Why not!? Aren't I supposed to confess my sins to my preacher!? Forgive me oh Lord, for I have sinned!" Anna threw her hands up in the air begging the cosmos for forgiveness, but her father immediately reached out grabbing her wrists and wrestling her back to earth.

"Don't you dare talk like that!" Her father screamed.

They began yelling in each other's faces, neither hearing the words the other was saying. Finally Anna broke away and stormed out of the house. Her father called after her, but that only made her run faster.

It was dark outside. The night air had turned cold and Anna could see her breath puff out before her as she ran. Then her boot caught on a rock, sending her flying face first into the dirt. Anna rolled over onto her back, the cold air tearing at her lungs. She closed her eyes. After everything she'd been through that day, she didn't have any fight left in her. When she opened her eyes again she found a sea of stars swimming above her. They were so piercingly bright in the dark and so breathtakingly beautiful. Anna lay watching them for a while, until the ache in her muscles brought her back to reality. The hard ground underneath her hurt all the way down to her bones, so she found the strength to sit up.

She couldn't stay here, out in a field, exposed to the elements. She couldn't go home either. Elsa had made her promise she would call if she needed her, but Anna refused to involve her in this mess. That left one option – at least, one she felt she could take. Slowly Anna got to her feet and walked back to the road.

* * *

It was late when Anna knocked on the Bjorgman's door. Luckily there were still lights on in the house, meaning someone was still awake. The door opened and relief flooded Anna when it's frame nearly filled with Kristoff's body.

"Anna? What..." His jaw hung open, his brain clearly working overtime to connect Anna's appearance with her sudden arrival on his doorstep in the middle of the night.

"I'm sorry! I know it's late but can I... can I stay here?"

Kristoff drew back, letting her in, but he still questioned her, "Jesus Anna! What happened!?"

"I broke up with Hans."

A look of fury turned the blonde boy's face to stone. "I'll..."

"Kill him?" Anna cut him off. She'd really had enough of people trying to fight her battles for her. She knew they meant well, but it was grating on her last nerve. "Please don't. I hit him too alright? God, I've really messed up, and I know that, but I just want this to die ok? Let it go."

The anger in Kristoff's eyes was replaced with curiosity, "You hit him back?"

"I hit him first actually." Anna puffed out her chest.

"Then you better not think this is your fault."

Her friend's astute observation annoyed Anna. She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's done. It's over. Time to move on."

"So, you broke up with him, and you punched his lights out?" Kristoff looked like he was doing math in his head, adding the pieces together.

"And smashed the shit out of his truck."

"Awesome!" Kristoff held up his hand offering Anna a high five. "Common don't leave me hanging!"

Anna slapped his hand then gave him a shove. His approval felt good, but it wasn't something she wanted to linger on. As far as she was concerned Hans was in the past and Anna was leaving the past in the past.

Kristoff pointed at her bruised face, "I'm guessing you didn't want your folks to see this?"

Anna tensed, "Actually, I went home first..."

"Did your dad freak out?"

Anna slouched forward, "It was my fault. I was so bent on confronting everyone that I totally riled up my Dad. I could have handled it better. A lot better. We had a huge fight. I don't think he's raised his voice at me like that since I was like ten."

"Hey, it's going to be ok." Kristoff placed a hand on Anna's shoulder, inviting her to give him a hug if she wanted. "He'll come around. Hell, you'll come around too. Sleep on it. I bet everything will look different in the morning."

Anna jumped into his open arms, "Thank you!"

* * *

Anna woke to the rich smell of bacon frying. She had slept in Kristoff's bed, ousting him to the couch. He insisted and Anna was too tired to argue. By the time Anna's senses began to register the morning light, the house had already come to life around her. She could hear Kristoff running around after his little brothers and sisters and their mother scolding them from the kitchen. His family yelled a lot, but more to tease each other than out of anger. The Bjorgmans were a loud family. The polar opposite of what Anna was used to. Maybe that's why Kristoff was always so level-headed and Anna was so loud. He could say whatever he needed to say at home, where Anna felt like she was never being heard. It was a complex realization for so early in the morning. Anna pulled the covers over her head, thankful it was a Saturday.

Then a sound cut through her blanket fortress, a voice she knew, but not one that should have been in this house. It couldn't be. Elsa didn't live anywhere near here. Anna threw off the covers and made her way downstairs, drawn out by the melodic voice. Anna rounded the corner to the kitchen and her jaw dropped. Elsa sat at the table with Kristoff eating breakfast.

Concern flitted through Elsa's eyes when she saw Anna standing in the kitchen doorway, but it was quickly replaced with a laugh. Elsa clamped her hand over her mouth, trying desperately to control herself. Anna realized she looked ridiculous standing over the kitchen threshold in an old t-shirt and borrowed pair of Kristoff's boxers, but it was most likely her hair in it's usual state of bedhead which garnered such a reaction from the composed Elsa.

"What are you doing here?" Anna demanded, somewhat annoyed Elsa has seen her like this.

"I should ask you the same." Elsa's laughter faded and she grew concerned again. "You're not where I left you."

"Just like a set of car keys." Kristoff snickered.

Elsa looked at him, then back to Anna, "I take it things didn't go well? I knew I shouldn't have let you go in alone."

Anna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because having you there would have really helped the situation." Anna paused, still struggling to make connections with her morning addled brain. "What _are_ you doing here?" She rounded on Kristoff, "Did you tell her?!"

Kristoff held up his hands, "Whoa there feisty pants! This actually has nothing to do with you."

"Oh really?" Anna eyed the pair with suspicion, "What are you two up to?"

"Surely your memory isn't that bad." Elsa teased. "I'm giving Kristoff dance lessons."

"Oh my God for real!" Anna bounced up and down on her toes before tackling Kristoff in a hug, "You're letting her?!"

"Do I have a choice?" He pushed Anna away. "Prom is coming up fast and I want to make Sven happy. I'm willing to suffer a little for her expense."

"You love it!" Elsa narrowed her eyes, taunting him.

"I'll never admit to that."

Elsa shrugged then leaned forward on the table, "You want to join us Anna? I could use a demonstration partner."

"Oh my God YES!" Anna jumped up and down on the spot trying to contain the excited little wiggle her hips were starting to do. "This will be so much fun!"

Elsa nodded her approval. "I can drive you home when we're done."

"Or you can stay here another night if you want." Kristoff quickly added.

"No," Anna sighed as the weight of reality brought itself back to her shoulders. "I should go home. My folks are probably worried."

"I bet they've calmed down by now." Kristoff reassured her.

"I hope so."

* * *

It was hard for Anna to contain her laughter. Kristoff was right, he couldn't dance at all. The poor boy had no sense of rhythm and Elsa had to nearly beat it into him. They were running through the Bjorgman apple orchard, dodging trees and bopping to the beat from the boom box Elsa carried on one shoulder. As they reached a clearing, Elsa set the box down on the ground and gathered Anna and Kristoff close for their lesson.

"Since we have a partner for you to practice with today, why don't we work on some slow dancing?"

"Ok, let's do this!" Kristoff rubbed his hands together, then cracked his knuckles, prepared to get down to business.

"Just think how impressed Sven will be when you sweep her off her feet at prom!" Anna patted his shoulder.

Kristoff looked a shade paler than he should have, "I'll settle for not stepping on her toes thanks."

"Aim higher!" Elsa snapped. "You can do it! I know you can! Now pay attention. I'll demonstrate with Anna. Watch closely, then we'll get you to try it with her and I'll correct you as you go."

"Sounds like a plan." Kristoff folded his arms in front of his chest and leaned up against a tree giving the girls space.

"Let's do it!" Elsa hit the play button on the boom box and turned to Anna, bowing graciously, "May I have this dance?"

Anna's insides melted and she sighed, reaching out for Elsa's offered hand, "Yes!" True they had danced together at the bar, but it hadn't been intimate. Their bodies barely touched and when they did it was brief and unintentional. Now Elsa was going to be holding her as they danced. Anna had to steady her breathing to hide her nerves.

Elsa was talking, giving instructions to her and Kristoff, but none of it registered in Anna's brain. Elsa took one of Anna's hands in hers. Tingles ran through Anna's fingers and down her arm, all the way to her core. Anna had little time to enjoy the sensation before Elsa took Anna's other hand and put it on her shoulder. Anna swallowed, her tongue feeling heavy in her mouth. Then Elsa's other hand went to her waist. The placement was innocent enough, but the way she held Anna so firmly made Anna's knees wobble slightly. Anna was sure if she fell Elsa would catch her, bringing her even closer, which wasn't a totally horrible plan. Before Anna could scheme any further though, Elsa was moving them around the orchard. Anna paid close attention to her feet, trying not to step on Elsa's toes, but the blonde did a fantastic job of leading and Anna eventually fell into step with her.

Elsa opened up their arms, spinning Anna out and bringing her back close. The blue sky and lingering scent of apple blossoms along with the dizzying sense of being spun made Anna giggle. Then again, maybe it wasn't the spin that was dizzying. Elsa's eyes matched the sky and the smile on her face was unbridled and genuine. Anna could have danced with her like this forever.

"Maybe I should leave you two alone..." Kristoff cut through Anna's thoughts.

"Oh shut up!" Anna scolded him for breaking the moment.

"No really, the song ended like two minutes ago and you're still staring dreamily into each other's eyes," Kristoff made a kissy face and batted his eyelashes as prettily as he could.

"You're not getting out of this that easy!" Elsa remained unfazed by his teasing. "Don't be scared now. Anna's not that bad a dancer."

"Wait what?" Anna couldn't tell if that was a veiled jab or a compliment.

"Fine," Kristoff resigned himself, stepping over to Anna. "You ready to go Red?"

"I was born ready!" Anna took his hand in hers and grabbed his shoulder with the other.

Dancing with Kristoff was nothing like dancing with Elsa. His movements were jerky and unsure and Anna lost count of the times he stepped on her toes. They bickered a lot, but Elsa always stepped up beside them, gently correcting them and encouraging them when they started to do something right. At least Kristoff had shown some improvement by the end of their session. Anna would hate her bruised toes to be for nothing.

It was hard to leave the safety of the Bjorgman farm, but Anna knew it had to happen eventually. She hoped her father had had enough time to cool down, though she doubted she would get away with her outburst from the night before.

Elsa drove her home but was reluctant to let her go in by herself. "Are you sure, you'll be alright? I can come in..."

"What a great idea!" Anna gushed in mock enthusiasm, "Daddy, I'd like you to meet the lesbian I have a huge crush on! Yeah. That's going to fix everything."

"I'm asking as a friend. I can go in as a friend."

"No." Anna remained adamant. "I'm not lying to him anymore. It makes things worse in the long run. I want to introduce you, but when the time is right and for the right reasons."

Elsa nodded, entwining her fingers through Anna's, "Ok."

They sat together in silence, neither of them moving, save for the small motions of their fingers rubbing against each other's.

"Does that mean you like me?" Elsa didn't lift her gaze from the steering wheel.

"You have to ask?" Anna said, flabbergasted. She thought she had made things pretty clear.

"I do. With all the things you do, and with all the things you're trying to sort out, I don't want to be another mistake for you."

"Are you kidding!? Elsa, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Anna leaned across the car kissing the side of Elsa's mouth.

Elsa tilted her face toward Anna's until their lips met fully. Anna became lost in those lips, pushing hard against them until they opened. Elsa ran her fingers through Anna's hair, pulling her deeper into the kiss. Anna moaned into Elsa's mouth, probing her tongue as deep as it would go, wanting to taste as much of Elsa as possible. Her hands ran over Elsa's shoulders then roamed lower, searching underneath the open jacket. Anna cupped her hands around Elsa's breasts, leaning her weight into the blonde. A deep groan reverberated up Elsa's chest and into Anna's mouth before Elsa broke away for air.

"Fuck..." Elsa gasped. She searched Anna's face, running her fingers through the locks of hair she had pulled out of Anna's twin braids.

"Thank you." Anna leaned in for a swift peck on the cheek. "For everything."

Before Elsa could react, Anna was out of the car, walking towards her house. Their kiss lingered on her lips giving her the strength to move forward.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait! RL finally caught up to me. Hopefully updates will be a bit more regular now. This chapter is maybe a little less refined than the others, but I felt bad about not updating for a while and I wanted to get something out to you guys. Again, thank you all for the kind reviews! I enjoy reading them!


	10. You can never hide your heart

"I'm home." Anna entered the house. It was eerily quiet, to the point she thought no one was home until she heard rustling from her father's study. Anna marched herself down the hall, still feeling resolute. The study door was ajar, but she knocked anyway.

"Come in."

Anna opened the door slowly. The study was uncharacteristically messy, as if papers had been thrown in every direction. Her father wasn't sitting in his usual desk chair, but in the hard-backed leather chair by the window. He looked up at her as she came through the door.

"Hi." As many speeches as Anna had prepared in her head, they flew out the window when she saw her father. He looked older than he should, with heavy bags lining his eyes as if he hadn't slept.

"Hi." He responded kindly, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. The anger in him from yesterday had all gone. He gestured to his desk chair, "Have a seat."

Anna pulled up the chair, sitting on it's edge. It felt weird to sit in the place her father usually scolded her from.

"Your mother and I had a talk last night..." He let the words hang, giving Anna a chance to speak, but her mind went blank and she stared at the floor between them. The reverend cleared his throat. "Anna, I'm sorry."

"What?" She studied her father's face wondering if she had misheard.

"I'm sorry." He repeated, his voice soft, but clear in the silence of the room. "I lost my temper last night and that never should have happened."

"We all make mistakes." Anna folded her hands in her lap, fidgeting with her fingers. She had grown used to the idea of owning up to her mistakes, but that didn't make the process any easier.

"Yes we do. I think I realized that last night. Anna, I've only ever had your best interests at heart."

"I know Daddy." Where they going down this road again? The one where her father justified his need for control over every aspect of her life?

"Anna I love you, and if I could, I would shield you from every possible danger on God's green earth, and then some, but in holding you too tightly, you've slipped through my fingers, like sand. I've pushed you away..."

"No!" It was true. Everything he was saying was true, but it was counter to what Anna had expected him to say. She couldn't bear letting all the responsibility fall on him. "You never pushed me away! I was the one who pushed you away!"

"Well, perhaps we both did some pushing then."

Anna nodded. She would allow this compromise.

Her father continued, "I remember when you were little. We used to talk all the time. I asked myself when we stopped talking and started fighting, but I was too blind to acknowledge the answer, until last night. Anna I can only hold on to you for so long. It's far too short a time, and it flies by without you even noticing... but you were right. Part of growing up is making your own mistakes. And part of being a good father is knowing when to let go, and hoping that at least _some_ of the lessons I've tried to instill in you will stick. What I'm trying to say is that I trust you... no," He rubbed his hands over his face, "I _want_ to trust you, but I'm afraid."

Anna was on her feet in a flash, awkwardly throwing her arms around her father while he was still seated in his chair. "I'm sorry! I know I've made mistakes and I haven't been worthy of your trust, but please please please give me the chance to earn it back! I swear I won't let you down!"

The reverend returned his daughter's embrace, placing a kiss in her hair, "Anna, you could never let me down!"

* * *

"You've been gone a lot." Elsa's mother handed her a cup of tea. She was sitting out on the front porch, away from the prying ears of her aunt, uncle and cousins. The weather was nice and mild. Spring melted away giving way to the heat of summer, but it still cooled off in the evenings. A wooden swing hung from the overhang of the roof. It was more like a bench that could sway back and forth, heavy and sturdy. It was Elsa's favourite place to sit, covered with hand-made, country pillows and an old patchwork quilt. It was quiet on the porch and usually no one disturbed her when she sat there. Tonight however, her mother approached her, holding out a tea cup as a peace offering.

Elsa took the cup and brought it to her lips to blow on the hot drink. "I've been working a lot."

Her mother sat next to her on the swing, careful not to push it too hard and set it in motion. "Even when you're not working or at school, you seem to be gone a lot."

"Well, Kristoff isn't going to teach himself how to dance!" Elsa tested a sip, but the tea was still scalding. She would never understand how her mother could drink something burning this hot without batting an eye.

"I should be happy you've made friends here, but I miss you." Her mother took a sip, looking out over the unassuming country road that lead up to the house, "I know it's been hard for you, moving to a small town..."

"Is this your way of asking if I'm in trouble?" Elsa said. If she let her mother have her way, they would pussyfoot around the issue forever without making any progress.

"Are you?" Her mother raised an eyebrow, mockingly shocked her daughter would suggest such a thing.

"I think any trouble I might have been in is past... Well at least the kind of trouble you'd be worried about."

"I worry about everything when it comes to you!"

"You know what I mean! The whole thing Uncle went on about with the 'drugs' and trouble at school." Elsa even made air quotes around the word drugs to emphasize the ridiculousness of the accusation. "And I'm not even going to talk about the tractor so don't go there."

To Elsa's surprise her mother giggled. "Elsa I know you're a good kid, but trouble has a way of finding you. It's almost magical."

"Cursed you mean!" Elsa faced her mother, deciding to open up. "It's not like I came here looking for anything. I knew it was just a matter of time then I'd be off to college."

The truth of the matter was that they both decided to move to Arendelle rather than dip into Elsa's college funds, the only source of money they had left. Her mother steadfastly refused to use that money to bail them out, but things got tighter and tighter. Leaning on family until they could get back on their feet seemed the best option. Elsa was the one who encouraged them to take it. It meant a fresh start for her mom and it would only be a small sacrifice of the last half of Elsa's senior year. It wasn't a big deal. So how did their world get flipped upside down so fast?

Elsa took a deep breath, weighing everything that happened in the short time since they'd moved, "I didn't expect to make any enemies, let alone friends, but here we are. And I don't want you to worry! Enemies is a strong word, but I think things have sorted themselves out. I'm not worried, so you shouldn't be."

Her mother nodded taking a sip of her tea, looking out over the rolling farm country, "I'm glad you've made friends. Anyone special I should know about?" There it was again. Her mother would never ask outright, especially here. Ears were everywhere in Arendelle and attitudes were close-minded. Her mother had come to accept Elsa for who she was, but that didn't mean she wanted her to flaunt it in this small town.

Elsa's silence was incriminating and she could feel her cheeks beginning to burn.

"I knew it!" Her mother lit up and opened a new line of questioning, "Who is it? Don't tell me it's Kristoff's girl! That won't end well."

"It's worse than that." Elsa groaned, trying to hide her face in her hand.

"Worse?"

"It's Anna Anderson." Elsa didn't look up from between her fingers.

"Anderson... wait, that's the preacher's last name! Oh... oh Elsa, you really are a sucker for punishment!"

"She's not like that though!" Elsa felt it necessary to fly to Anna's defence. "Everyone has expectations because she's the preacher's daughter, whether that means she's really good, or really good at rebelling, but to me she's just Anna."

Her mother sat back against the swing examining her daughter. "Wow, you got it bad kiddo. Any indications she might return those feelings?"

Elsa's face felt like it was going to explode into flame. "Mom!"

"Oh no! I know that look! What happened!? Something happened didn't it!"

Elsa thought about lying to her Mom, but couldn't bring herself to do it. "We... we've kissed."

Her mom squealed in delight wrapping her free arm loosely around Elsa's shoulders, "Awwwww! I'm so happy for you honey!" Then her features clouded with worry, "But, do you two really think this is a good idea? Arendelle isn't exactly Corona. And her parents!"

"I'll let Anna handle her parents. I'll handle Arendelle if I have to." Elsa was surprised at the conviction in her voice.

Her mother raised an eyebrow, "You'd take on the whole town? Do you think that's a good idea, especially when you're so close to graduating and leaving?"

"I'm not saying I'm going to come out and shove it in people's faces Mom! One step at a time. Sheesh! We've kissed, we're not even dating technically. I mean I don't know if she even wants us to be a thing or not. We haven't talked about it. Anna's kind of got a lot of stuff going on right now. I don't want to push her."

"Wise decision. You've always had a level head when it comes to this sort of thing."

"I try."

"Not like me." Her mother sighed, her gaze growing distant.

Elsa grew defensive, "Mom, it's really not your fault Dad left."

"I tell myself that but I don't know if I believe it yet."

"Look, I blamed myself too." Since they were being honest, Elsa had her own confessions to make, "I used to think maybe, if I could be the perfect daughter, someone he'd be proud of, then he would stay, but no matter how good I was, it didn't change a thing! It didn't matter because it wasn't about me, it was about him. I did everything I could, and I know you did too. If it was up to us, we would have changed things, but we couldn't because it wasn't up to us. It's not our fault."

"Oh honey," Her Mom tightened her arm around Elsa's shoulder drawing her into a bone-crushing hug. "You are a wonderful girl and it's his loss he never saw that!"

"You're wonderful too Mom! You deserve better and I promise I'm going to give it to you!" The words poured out of Elsa's mouth, "I'll work hard at college and graduate and find a great job and I'll make sure you'll never want for anything!"

Elsa buried her face in her mother's sweater, hiding the tears pricking at her eyes. It was the first time she'd admitted the truth of her plans to her mother. They had always thought she'd go off to college, but ever since her father left them, Elsa had been driven to make sure she and her mother would never suffer like that again. There was little she could do as a teenager other than aim high at school and aim for the future they both deserved.

"Elsa,"Her mother whispered into her hair, "The only thing I _want_ is to see you happy!"

* * *

It had been several days since the weekend from Hell. Anna was relived to be back in school. The swelling on her face had gone down, leaving a yellowish, purply bruise in it's wake. Hans hadn't bothered showing up to school. A small reprieve, but Anna still got stares and whispers in the hallways. She didn't care. They could gossip all they liked. None of them mattered. Soon, high school would draw to a close and she'd be as far away from Arendelle as humanly possible. Let them talk.

Anna had been content to stay home most nights and focus on her studies now that she had opened up to her family. Only time would heal the wounds she'd opened and she wasn't going to run away from her family anymore. Occasionally she'd join her father in his study. She'd sit reading in his big arm chair while he would type away on his typewriter. The silence between them had become soothing instead of the barrier it once was. Tonight though, Anna was sitting at the kitchen table after dinner, her homework spread out over the large table.

Her mother stroked her hair and she walked by, then sat down at the table across from Anna. "How are you feeling?"

Anna was about to turn her away with some non-committal remark, but she bit her tongue. Her mother was trying to talk to her. She should respond truthfully. "Better."

"Good," her mother busied herself with a spot on her apron.

"I'm OK Mom, really. The bruise is healing, Hans has stayed away from me, and Dad and I are even getting along! What more could you ask for?"

"I just want you to be happy Anna. I know you've been through a lot, and that your father and I haven't been there for you..."

"Mom, it's not your fault! Things just got kind of messed up. Can we start over? Clean slate?"

"I don't think so." Her mother shook her head staring at Anna's notes on the table.

Anna pouted, not understanding her mother's answer.

Her mother laughed softly, "Anna, you'll always be my little girl. That will never change."

"So, you're saying I can't sweep the past away so easily?"

"Don't try," Her mother smiled at her. "Don't hide the mistakes you've made. Accept them to move forward."

"Ugh... I've got a lot of accepting to do!" Anna hung her head in her hands.

Her mother giggled which quickly infected Anna and soon they were laughing together.

Anna's mother recovered first, "I love you sweetie."

"I know Mom. And Mom, thanks for not giving up on me."

"How could I?" She gave her daughter this look that asked, _How could you think something so silly?_

"Well there's a high probability I'll screw up again in the future, even though I'm trying not to."

"Nobody's perfect Anna. There's a chance I'll screw up too, or your father will. We all have to learn to forgive each other our trespasses."

"Now I know who the real preacher is in this family."

"I haven't been a reverend's wife for over 20 years without picking up a few things." A glint of humour shone in her eyes.

"I don't know how you do it Mom. You're a saint."

"No, not really. And I do it out of love. Surely that isn't too hard to understand?"

"Maybe not." Anna let her mind wander. People did strange things in the name of love. "Mom, what's true love feel like? How do you know when it's true love?"

Her mother raised her eyebrows at Anna.

"I mean, you and Dad have been together a long time, and I assume you still love each other, not that you wouldn't, but it must be true love because you're still together, and I thought it was true love when I met Hans but it was SO not, and now I think I'm falling for someone else, but I don't want it to turn into another disaster like..."

A hand gently enveloped one of Anna's, stopping her mid ramble. Anna's mother smiled knowingly at her. "Sometimes we can't tell until we test the waters dear. Some people, can appear to be things they're not. Hans seemed charming but turned out to be a real..."

"Asshole."

Her mother didn't correct her, "And sometimes people can seem aloof or uncaring when they have hearts of gold, like your father."

Or someone else Anna knew. "I guess."

"There's no easy way to tell who's genuine and who's not. You usually have to spend time with the person."

"Take things slow?"

"It's recommended. But the most important thing is how the other person makes you feel."

"Like making you happy?"

"More like making you feel like yourself. Gratification is intense but short lived. Love is when someone encourages you to grow and wants to see the best in you."

Anna nodded letting the words sink in, "Like someone encouraging you to be your own knight in shining armour?"

Her mother smiled a knowing smile. "Did someone encourage you to do that?"

"I think we've been encouraging each other." Heat rose in Anna's cheeks.

"You should bring this gentleman around for tea some time."

The pit of Anna's stomach dropped and cold fingers of fear gripped her throat.

Her mother must have read the dread on Anna's face, "I can make sure you're father isn't around if that's what you're worried about."

Anna shook her head. "It's not what you think." How could she tell them? How could she possibly tell them? "I mean, it's nothing! There's nobody special. That was some advice Kristoff gave me, not that we're dating, he has a girlfriend, I'm single, I'm not interested in anyone else. Nope. Conversation over."

Anna almost slammed her face into her notes to get away from her mother's prying gaze.

"OK Anna, but if you ever want to talk about it, I promise, I wont judge."

* * *

**A/N:** Mushy family fluff time! I hope that wasn't too boring, but these scenes needed to be written. Elsa and Anna need to make peace with their families. Though I have to admit, things are taking a bit of a different turn than I had planned. The story is evolving a bit (which means a longer story for you to read). Interesting how things work out.


End file.
